coastal town with a majority Garifuna population. At the health center (“Centro de Salud Sambo Creek”) we meet Patricia Moreira Mtz. And her six-month-old baby called Eduardo. She is here for a health check-up. Patricia was diagnosed with HIV three years ago. They received PMTCT treatment. Eduardo was tested at one month old, but for some reason the result has not been communicated to the mother yet. But Patricia is not concerned as it’s not unusual to get the final result so long after the test. She is confident her baby if HIV free. Patricia gets free cans of formula milk as replacement for breastfeeding. She lives alone with her child in a concrete home that looks abandoned rather than inhabited.

PMTCT story (Sambo Creek, Honduras)
Patricia Moreira Martinez is a 30 year old mother of two, Eduardo (a 6 months old baby) and an older son that lives with his father’s family.
She is originally from Puerto Cortez, but moved to Sambo Creek around 6-7 years ago. Eduardo’s father left her after she got pregnant, so she is on her own with her baby living in a borrowed house that is uninhabitable now due to the humidity and lack of isolation.
Patricia was nervous when getting tested, and it was around 3 years ago when she was diagnosed. That moment was very hard for her, she mentions that she wanted to die that day, her first reaction was really bad and she didn’t know what to do but got strength to move on with her life, although it’s not easy.
When she got pregnant, doctors reassured her that there was a high possibility that her baby would be HIV free, so she wasn’t worried despite her own diagnosis. During her pregnancy she followed doctor’s orders to the letter and went to regular appointments.
When Eduardito was born he took some medication, and Patricia knew she couldn’t breast feed, so she went to La Ceiba where the clinic provided her with the first powder milk supply; later on, the Sambo Creek clinic was stocked, so she has taken the milk supply directly from there since. One month after Eduardito was born, they did a first HIV test, and although results haven’t come in yet, Patricia and the Sambo Creek doctor are confident that he is negative because otherwise the lab would have called with a warning.
Eduardito is now 6 months old and it’s time for his second test, he is a really peaceful boy and according to his mom, once she feeds him he remains calm while she does chores around the house.
For Patricia, the key issue around HIV is ignorance, and even though some people from her community are still prejudicial, she remains adamant that she won’t quit her treatment because of what people might say.
Above all, Patricia wishes she can continue without any issues as she has been so far, hopefully just with a better house so she can live with both her sons, and that they remain healthy and guarded by God always.

The Global Fund co-finances the testing and treatment along with the Ministry of Health, and it fully supports the powder milk supply, by providing HIV positive moms with 2 cans of powder milk a week, a total of 60 cans, sufficient for around 6 months.